


Not A Regular

by MistDream23 (DaveJean)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, M/M, Neil still has problems and loves to run, Soft AU, let's pretend the foxes are a cafe crew instead of a team and Waymack is the owner, the foxes deserve soft aus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 08:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12128445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaveJean/pseuds/MistDream23
Summary: PSU Foxes Coffee is the most crowded cafe near the campus, and on a rush needed some caffeine, Neil Josten finds himself ordering some expresso. But he's not the type to go twice to the same cafe... so far.Or what happens if the foxes are a cafe crew and Neil is a lil' bit better at getting someone is flirting with him.Also I love these guys so much and they deserve a cute Coffeshop AU.Characters are not mine but Nora Sakavic's, and if you haven't read the books of All For The Game, do it!!





	Not A Regular

How could anyone stare with such intensity and yet look so apathetic? Neil wondered, and took his double espresso from the blond barista. "Andrew", their tag said, Neil already memorising it. Not like he would come again to that cafe, being a regular wasn't his thing. Hot cup of espresso in hand, he left the place without saying a word.

 

"Oh, fake lenses came back." Nicky said to Dan as the guy entered Foxes Cafe and stepped behind the queue.

"He's kinda cute, isn't him." Reneé offered after a quick glance, and smiled to Nicky.

"You sure he wears fake lenses?"

"Dan please, I can see his blue eyes underneath from here."

"Last time I checked we were working, not gossiping in a locker room" Matt told them, "Nicky, I asked you for a mocca, focus."

"Aye, aye, mocca on the way."

"Andrew, start preparing his last order." Dan ordered.

"He's not repeating."

They all stopped at the sound of Andrew talking. If he talked at the job it was usually just to point out how useless Nicky was, or to order Kevin around - and Kevin wasn't around that day. He remembered the orders of all the customers, new and regulars, and their regulars almost never changed their choices.

"You su-?" Nicky started, but Dan elbowed him in the ribs.

"Alright, let's see."

 

Neil's turn came three customers after the foxes' exchange, and even he noticed how quiet they all had become.

"Eh... morning."

"Good morning." Matt smiled.

"I want a medium size Chai Tea Latte, please."

"Soy milk or any other specific?"

"No, I'm good."

"That'd be three dollars fifty. Can I have your name?"

Neil froze while getting the coins out of his wallet.

"You didn't ask last time."

"Oh" Matt stopped, and tried to sound casual "We have a lot of customers right now and it helps with the orders. You can always use another name, or some pop culture reference, we don't really care."

Neil thought about it as he gave Matt the coins.

"Adam."

"Alright" Matt picked a cup and wrote it down, "You'll have your Chai in five, /Adam/" Matt side-smiled, and then coughed as a warning for the rest, that were still paying attention to Neil.

 

"Chai, Steve." Andrew stared at Neil when he put down the cup on the counter in front of him.

"I thought I said Adam."

Andrew seemed to weight how much energy it would to answer Neil, yet not for long.

"You know what they say, it's Adam and Steve not Adam and Eve."

And he turned, preparing the next beverage ordered.

Neil lifted the cup, and read the big "ADAM" the guy at the cash register had written for him. Had the other one, Andrew, made some kind of joke about it? Adam and Steve? That sounded... Gay.

Was that Andrew flirting with him?

The sole thought was so unexpected for Neil he brushed it off as soon as it crossed his mind. Still, he sat down on one of the couches and checked his emails while drinking his tea, relaxed. He kinda liked the place.

 

"Adam and Steve, really?" Renee half mocked Andrew as they walked away from the cafe, night already upon them.

"Shut your face."

"If he looks interesting enough you should tell Nicky, otherwise he'll try something."

Andrew stopped.

"Let him try."

 

"Woah-ho, if it's fa- Adam, isn't it?"

This guy wasn't at the counter before, Neil first thought. His dark skin was a bit mesmerising, but he was so cheerful Neil's first instinct was to run away from him.

"... Yeah."

He felt a gaze on him. On his left, Andrew had stopped whatever beverage he was doing, paying all his attention to Neil.

"Whatcha want this time? Yesterday was... Chai, wasn't it?" Nicky offered.

"Yes but, I'd like a hot chocolate with caramel today. Medium."

"Alrighty, that's four dollars for you, handsome."

Neil looked down at his wallet, dismissing the compliment, and when he looked up to pay, Andrew was at the cash register.

"Go wait" Andrew said as he took the money and have Neil the receipt. It was then when Neil noticed the other guy wasn't in sight anymore, and he felt the others had gone silent.

It was only when he went outside he realised the cup read "Andrew's".

 

"You ok?"

Aaron didn't usually come over the cafe, and Nicky had the impression Matt and Dan had something to do with it.

"Yeah, just your brother making statements, true to his style."

"Hm. Two caramel lattes, by the way, one with soy milk."

Nicky smiled; Aaron was just on his way to meet his girlfriend.

"Katelyn's alright?"

"Yeah. Erik?"

"As always. He said he'd come for Christmas. Eight seventy."

"Ok. Here."

Andrew glanced his twin brother, grabbed the cups from Nicky's hands, and started preparing the drinks.

"See ya later, Aaron."

"Don't let him bite you that easily, Nicky."

"Can't promise anything."

When Aaron left with the beverages, Andrew stared at Nicky.

"Yeah I get it, no more flirting with fake lenses."

Andrew held his gaze for a few more seconds, slightly nodded, and side-smiled. A side smiled that reminded Nicky of darker, chaotic times. Nicky shivered, but knew that as long as he obeyed he wouldn't get in trouble with his younger cousin.

 

"Name?" Matt asked again the tenth time Neil stepped into the Foxes Cafe, a busy Tuesday morning.

"Richard." He didn't feel familiar enough around the foxes, tho he had already memorized their names, even Allison and Kevin - who seemed to work only the weekends they expected more customers than usual.

When Matt passed the cup to Andrew, the latter snorted. It took them a second to realise what they have heard, Neil included. After ten times it was obvious enough Andrew wasn't a fan of talking or socializing - Neil wasn't sure why would someone like him work in a cafe -, and every time he did something "normal" the others froze. It seemed it happened more than usual when Neil came in for a drink.

Matt waved Neil a hand as he waited for his drink.

"There's a seat around that corner, Dan will bring it to you."

"But-"

"Go" and turned to face the next customer in line.

Neil still had one hour free before class, and he had decided to revise some of the exercises he had to hand in later at his homeroom, but the cafe worked well enough.

"That looks like a Maths major." Dan said as she put on the table Neil's order, followed by a piece of cake. "Renee bakes sometimes and we sometimes offer free stuff to potential regulars" she explained with a smile "She said you seemed the carrot cake type."

It caught Neil so unexpectedly he felt he gaped in awe at Dan for ten long seconds.

"No thanks needed. Just keep coming back. We kinda like you."

Neil this time made an effort not to gape, and awkwardly nodded to Dan. She smiled as brilliantly as Matt, and for a second Neil thought that, maybe, being friends with the foxes would be nice. If only he could. They were just treating him nice because regulars were always good for business, and Neil had broken his vow to never go to the same establishment twice.

"I kinda like you too."

 

Neil went for his usual Sunday midnight run, not expecting the lights on inside Foxes Cafe as he ran past the door. He paused, thinking he might have seen a small figure moving inside, silent. A pair of hazel eyes were staring back at him when he looked through the door's glass. Without the orange apron Neil noticed Andrew was dressed in black, head to toe.

"In" Andrew mouthed, and stepped back.

Neil walked inside, following Andrew. He was sweaty and wearing too little clothing - when running he preferred shorts and a thin long sleeved t-shirt - as he felt the chill weather, he felt /undressed/.

"You are one dense idiot."

Neil needed a moment to register both the voice and the words.

"Excuse me?"

"You are excused, but still a dense idiot."

"No, I mean, what have I done? And what are you doing here? It's midnight."

"Same as you. Couldn't sleep."

Neil knew his eyes had casual insomnia written under them, it was an easy deduction.

"I know you have marks on your forearms. Ones you didn't do to yourself."

Now that had been an scary longshot.

"I know you're not from here or any state around, yet your accent is convincing." Andrew had his eyes fixed on him, but his expression was blank. He looked at Neil as one would look at a wall: at nothing and everything at the same time, with no emotion nor devotion, searching for an invisible point in a vacuum space just to hold on for a little longer. For a moment, Neil had the impression Andrew's existence was clinging to him like he was the only stable surface on earth, yet Neil felt anything but stable.

"What do you want?"

"You tell me, I'm just killing time here. It was you who stopped at the door."

"Because you were inside."

Andrew's face shifted slightly.

"Aren't you interesting." He stepped into Neil's space, like an animal circling its prey. "Interesting, yes, but trustworthy? The foxes seem to like you, but I don't know what to make of you."

"If I have to explain myself in order to get coffee I think I'll change my establishment habits."

Andrew took his time to answer, his eyes never leaving Neil.

"Explaining how is this the first time you've entered the same place more than twice would be a good start."

Was he so... readable? Had Andrew met him before, or had him stalked him? Neil would remember him; it was hard to forget someone so short yet so menacing - and by short Neil meant shorter than his 5'3'', which was /hard/ to find.

"I guess the expresso was good."

"Or someone stopped following you."

"You know nothing about me."

"Oh, but, isn't that the whole point? Knowing you."

"Why?"

"Still the dense idiot. You are interesting."

"I'm not a fucking toy, Andrew."

"The idiot can read, good."

"You're making me nervous."

"And what are you gonna do about it?"

Neil looked at the door, breaking momentarily eye contact.

"Run away? You seem to be good at that."

"You don't know me."

"Let me."

Neil didn't understand.

"Why?"

"I'm bored."

A force pulled Neil chest down his feet, and suddenly, the air was too hot, too dense.

"I don't care." He said and made his way to the door.

"How does it make you feel?"

Neil didn't understand the question, but he answered before realising it, as he left.

"I'm fine."

 

"He hasn't come back." Dan said to herself as she cleaned the counter.

"Who?"

"Fake lenses."

Matt nodded, stacking the chairs on one side of the cafe.

"I was thinking the same, Dan!" Nicky's voice coming out the cleaning closet.

"Oh, you do think then." Andrew snarled while sweeping the floor.

"And you do interact, how nice of you." Dan was annoyed already at Andrew and hearing his voice didn't help her. "Next time you want to pick up a fight try a regular that doesn't tip as good as he."

Renee looked at Andrew, but he kept moving the broom left to right, right to left.

"I was gonna offer him to cover Nicky's holidays."

The Foxes shut up for, exactly, five seconds, and only to look at Dan and make sure she had said that and they were not imagining things.

"Oh my God but why shit I wanna work with him!"

"Wait what?"

"Dan can we, does that I mean we have the money because I think he'd work pretty well, yes?!"

"C'mon he has zero style, tho neither do you..."

"What did Kevin said? And Wymack?"

And, under all their questions, complaints and comments, Andrew opened his mouth just to say: "Interesting".

 

"So you are fake lenses" said Kevin to Neil the next day he entered the cafe, "I frankly don't see why the fuss."

"Ehh.. I guess I'll have a medium Black milk tea?"

Kevin stared at him from waist to head and pressed the screen. "Four dollars. Sit down, Matt and Dan want to talk to you."

Neil nodded and paid, wondering why that guy was such a prick and what would they want to tell him. He looked at where Andrew was, and after a quick glance between them, Neil went to find a seat feeling he needed to take off his jacket.

 

"You're really fretting over it, aren't you." Andrew left his drink on the table, and crossed his arms. "Don't run. At this pace you won't live long, which may be a good thing. You don't look the type that ages well."

"Neither do you." Neil fired back, registering his words once he heard himself. Andrew's eyes seemed to light up briefly, and he turned around.

"Stay."

 

"So, in summary, do you have free time in Christmas to cover Nikki's shift from 3pm to 10pm?"

Neil looked at the pair with such focus and intensity Matt got goosebumps (Dan was close to).

"You don't have to answer right now, you probably have to check your schedule first" Dan offered, "Just give it a thought. It'd be some extra money for the holidays."

Extra money was always handy, Neil thought, even if he had quite the stash under his bed. And some work experience so easily offered was indeed tempting... But the thought of working with Andrew and that prick Kevin was unnerving. Andrew was just unreadable, and it freaked Neil out.

"I don't need to be interviewed or anything, do I?" he thought out loud.

"Well," Matt spoke "If you decide to work here you'll need meet the owner, Wymack, and he'll give you green light. But we had to discuss it within the team and everyone agreed."

“And,” Dan interceded, “we’ll need your name for the tag.”

Neil stole a quick glance to the rest of the foxes, that had stopped for a brief second to follow their conversation. He lingered just one more second on Andrew, and looked back at Dan and Matt.

“Neil.” He sighed. “I’m Neil.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It's intended to be a one shot, but if I get inspired again I'll try adding some scenes in future chapters. 
> 
> Once a fox, always a fox ~


End file.
